Pickenpack Thies & Co.

Art Historical Context

**Pickenpack Thies & Co (1865) is a striking albumen silver print by John Thomson, a pioneering Scottish renowned for his documentary work. Captured from a glass negative, this 16.2 × 22.2 cm image exemplifies mid-19th-century photography technical leap forward. Albumen prints, coated with egg white for a glossy surface, produced rich tones and fine detail, making them ideal for portraits and commercial scenes like this one, which likely depicts the German trading firm "Pickenpack Thies & Co." Thomson, active in the 1860s, honed his skills in street photography and photojournalism, later immortalizing London's working class in *Street Life in London* (1877–78). This earlier piece reflects the era's growing use of photography for business promotion, blending artistry with commerce amid Europe's industrial boom. The wet-collodion process on glass negatives demanded speed and precision, capturing everyday life with unprecedented clarity. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Gilman Collection, the print highlights photography's shift from novelty to cultural recordkeeper. Visitors will appreciate how Thomson's keen eye transformed a simple firm portrait into a window on 1860s mercantile life, preserving a slice of history in shimmering silver tones.

About the Artist

John Thomson · 1837–1921

John Thomson (1837–1921), a pioneering Scottish photographer, was born on 14 June 1837 in Edinburgh as the eighth of nine children to William Thomson, a tobacco spinner and trader, and Isabella Newlands.) After schooling in the early 1850s, he apprenticed with a local optical and scientific instrument manufacturer, where he mastered the principles of photography, completing his training around 185...